Overview of Romans I. Intro. + Theme1:1-17 II. Condemnation1:18-3:20 III. Justification3:21-5:11 IV. Sanctification5:12-8:39 V. Illustration9:1-11:36 VI. Application12:1-15:13 VII. Epilogue15:14-16:27

You ever heard this? “Man, this is living!”

You ever heard this? What does it mean?

You ever heard this? “I’m dead!”

You ever heard this? What does it mean?

John 10:10b Life is both a possession and an experience.

The experience of life 1 Thess. 3:8 … “ for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord”. NASV

Life! The importance of being well connected! John 10:10 John 5:39; 17:3

Life! That eternal life is Jesus Christ! 1 John 1:1-2; 5:20; also John 14:6

Life! Eternal life was given to us both to possess and to experience!

Life! Abiding in Him to experience life. John 15:1-5

Romans Sin leads to enslavement

Romans Enslavement leads to the experience of death.

The experience of death Rom. 7:24; 8:6, 10; Eph. 2:1-3; 5:14; Col. 3:5; 1 Tim. 5:6

Romans In other words, according to Romans 5, sin reigned over humanity and brought the experience of death.

Romans Grace reigns in righteousness which leads to freedom and the experience of life! Romans 5:20-21

Romans Adam brought us to sin which brought the experience of death.

Romans Jesus leads us to grace and righteousness which leads to the experience of life.

Romans The experience of death is earned and deserved.

Romans The experience of life is neither...it is the gift of grace!

Romans It’s important to notice Paul’s words in Romans 5.

Romans The judgment which came from sin produced a “servitude to sin” – 5:18

Romans People didn’t just die.

Romans Humanity became enslaved to sin.

Romans Paul builds to an important issue in Romans.

Romans 8:10 In what sense can a believers body be described as “dead”?

Romans 8:10 This issue didn’t begin in chapter 8.

Romans 8:10 For Paul, this discussion begins in the first chapter and in earnest in chapter 5.

Romans 5:9-10 Paul promises that we can be saved from wrath by Christ’s life!

Romans 7:9 The Law led to the experience of death for Paul.

Romans 7:9 Taken alone, one could understand this as the experience of an unbeliever.

Romans 7:9 Taken in the context of the book, especially from chapter five on, this is the experience of those who sin.

Romans 7:13-24 This experience of death is one every believer knows all too well!

Romans 6:1-14 Since we are connected to both the death and life of Christ, we can expect to experience life!

Romans 6:1-14 But it is important that we both know the right things and live in those realities!

Romans 6:15-16 Do these realities of grace give us a license to sin?

Romans 6:15-16 “Of course not! You are giving yourselves over to be slaves of sin.”

Romans 6:17-18 Once the Romans had been converted, they had sincerely obeyed what they had been taught about Christian growth.

Jerusalem Bible “You submitted without reservation to the creed you were taught”.

Romans 6:17-18 Having become obedient, they became servants to the Lord instead of sin.

Romans 6:19 Their former “slavery” created a mess, while their new “slavery” created service to God and holiness.

Romans 6:20-21 In their former “service”, righteousness was powerless and so brought no positive result.

Romans 6:20-21 In their former “service”, righteousness was powerless and so brought no positive result.

Romans 6:20-21 All that came was shame and death, ultimately and experientially! Eph. 2:1-3; 4:18; James 1:13-15

Romans 6:22-23 Regeneration has brought freedom! 6:7

Romans 6:22-23 But, as we know, that freedom isn’t always experienced.

Romans 6:22-23 And, if that freedom isn’t experienced, neither is life…but death sure is!

Romans 6:22-23 Now, freedom can be experienced when we follow what we’ve been taught!

Romans 6:22-23 There is fruit in that life! Gal. 5:22-23

Romans 6:22-23 But, as Paul taught moments ago, one has to “know” and “consider” as true those truths he has brought to light (6:1-14)!

Romans 6:22-23 So many detach these truths from the context.

Romans 6:22-23 As every believer knows, these things are not automatic, even for those who so teach!

Romans 6:22-23 The result of obedience is the experience of life!

Romans 6:22-23 Eternal life is nothing less than the life of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Romans 6:22-23 The payoff of sin is the experience of death; ultimately and experientially now.

Romans 6:22-23 That is what is earned! Romans 8:13 – to believers!

Romans 6:22-23 Eternal life is an unearned experience!

Romans 6:22-23 Because we are in Christ, we get the great gift of eternal life!

Romans 6:22-23 And, because we are in Christ we both possess the gift of eternal life and can experience it! Romans 5:15-17

Romans 6:22-23 We not only possess life, we “reign” in life! John 10:10b; 17:3; Gal. 2:20; Col. 3:1-4; 1 Jn. 1:1-2

Romans 6:22-23 The context brings to us what Paul intended for this passage.

Romans 6:22-23 Taken out of the context of Christian growth, Romans 6:23 becomes what it has been for most of us: a verse about becoming a Christian.

Romans 6:22-23 But, the discussion here is about Christian growth and the concern for experiencing death and life!

Romans 6:22-23 Eternal life is something to be both possessed and experienced!